EC(97-98)56
For discussion
on 6 February 1998
ITEM FOR ESTABLISHMENT SUBCOMMITTEE OF
FINANCE COMMITTEE
HEAD 25 - ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT
Subhead 001 Salaries
Members are invited to recommend to Finance Committee the creation of the following permanent post in the Architectural Branch of the Architectural Services Department -
1 Chief Architect
(D1) ($92,650 - $98,300)
PROBLEM
The directorate structure of the Architectural Services Department (Arch SD) is inadequate to cope with the scale and complexity of the additional works brought about by the School Improvement Programme (SIP).
PROPOSAL
2. The Director of Architectural Services (D Arch S), with the support of the Secretary for Education and Manpower and the Secretary for Works, proposes to create one permanent post of Chief Architect (CA) (D1) to oversee school improvement works.
JUSTIFICATION
3. We are committed to improving the learning and teaching environment in existing schools. Under the SIP, we carry out improvement works by phases in public sector schools where such works are feasible. For Phases I to III, we have so far obtained Finance Committee's approval for a total of $7,643 million to conduct feasibility studies at 470 schools, and to carry out improvement works at 384 schools. Phase I covers improvement works for 104 schools, Phase II covers 130 schools and Phase III covers 150 schools. To date, we have completed improvement works at 108 schools and are carrying out work for another 276 schools. For the remaining phases of the SIP, Phase IIA (an additional phase) will cover 48 schools, Phases IV to VII will cover 100 schools each and Phase VIII will cover about 93 schools. The schools under Phase IIA are those which we have found technically difficult or too costly to implement the full SIP scope in Phases I and II. The feasibility studies for Phase IV will start in April 1998. Preparatory work for Phases V to VIII will then follow. We anticipate that ultimately we will carry out improvement works at about 925 schools under the whole SIP.
4. With regard to the progress of the SIP, we have experienced delays in the first three phases. The delays are mainly due to more complicated works than originally envisaged, longer-than-expected periods required to obtain lease modification approvals as well as new statutory requirements which necessitate more stringent contractual conditions and extensive additional works. In view of the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Ordinance, which came into operation in December 1996, we have to incorporate facilities for the disabled (such as lifts and toilets) in all schools under Phase II and onwards. These new requirements involve the upgrading of the electricity supplies for the schools by building transformers and transformer rooms in all schools where applicable, and have increased the complexity of the programme. D Arch S needs to carry out more liaison with other government departments (e.g. Housing Department on problems in housing estates after works start on site) and end users (to resolve day-to-day problems on site).
5. We intend to bring the delayed SIP back on track and to complete the entire programme by 2004 according to the schedule pledged in the 1996 Policy Commitments. To this end, we plan to compress the programme by starting each of the remaining phases (Phases IV to VIII) at a six-month interval. This means that we will start two phases every year as against one phase for each year previously. This will effectively double the workload. Currently the project team responsible for the school improvement works (with 23 non-directorate officers, to be increased to 29 in 1998-99) reports to a CA, designated as CA/3, who is also responsible for planning and overseeing projects under the Whole-day Primary School Programme and the School Building Programme.
6. CA/3 already has a very heavy workload associated with the
Whole-day Primary School Programme. We have pledged to provide whole-day schooling to 60% of government and aided primary school pupils by the commencement of the 2002-03 school year, and to achieve the 100% target as soon as possible thereafter. In order to achieve the interim target of 60% by the commencement of the 2002-03 school year, Arch SD will have to perform the following tasks between the 1998-99 to 2001-02 school years 1 -
- converting 38 bi-sessional schools by renovating eight vacant school premises and building additional classrooms in 12 existing school premises; and
- building 75 additional new schools.
These tasks, together with the objective to fully implement the Whole-day Primary School Programme, will result in a consistently high workload on school building for CA/3 in the years to come. Thus CA/3 will not be able to devote adequate attention to the SIP.
7. On the other hand, the SIP is a large-scale and complicated programme in terms of the number of schools involved, schedules which need to tie in with school calendars, and the nature of construction and refurbishment works within or near existing buildings. As many SIP projects are going on simultaneously, coupled with the need to mitigate the delays and to complete the programme by 2004, D Arch S needs a dedicated directorate officer at the rank of CA to oversee the implementation of the programme. While most of the detailed works are undertaken by consultants, the in-house supervision and co-ordination require a high level of professional competence and managerial skill. This CA has to assume an important role in liaison, monitoring and management. The main tasks include devising master plans, overseeing contractual arrangements, monitoring the performance of consultants (about 15 to 20 consultants for each phase) and contractors (an average of 30 contracts for each phase) and progress of works; liaising with other departments and policy bureaux concerned; and supervising a multi-disciplinary project team.
8. D Arch S has examined the feasibility of redeploying existing staff to cope with the additional workload but found this impossible to do, as all existing directorate officers are fully engaged in dealing with various aspects of Arch SD's responsibilities and commitment to other major programme areas, including Public Works Programme projects, and building projects for the Hospital Authority and the Municipal Councils, which have also increased substantially in scope over the years. To assign the extra work incurred by the SIP to any of the existing CAs will adversely affect the level of service of the department and its commitment to developments in other programme areas. D Arch S therefore proposes to create an additional CA post, to be designated CA/5, in the Architectural Branch to oversee the implementation of the SIP on a full-time basis. The new CA will take over all school improvement activities from CA/3. As the SIP is scheduled for completion by 2004, a review of the continued need for the proposed post will be made in early 2003.
9. The organisation chart of Arch SD is at Enclosure 1. The existing and revised job descriptions for CA/3 are at Enclosures 2 and 3 and the job description for the proposed CA post is at Enclosure 4.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
10. The additional notional annual mid-point salary cost of this proposal is $1,144,200. The full annual average staff cost of the proposal, including salaries and staff on-cost, is $2,162,652. In addition, D Arch S proposes to create six non-directorate posts at a notional annual salary cost of $5,575,320 and a full annual average staff cost of $10,355,280. We have included sufficient provision in the 1998-99 draft Estimates to meet the cost of this proposal.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
11. In 1993, the Executive Council endorsed the Education Commission Report No. 5 which, among other issues, recommended the implementation of the SIP. The programme aims to improve the learning environment of existing schools and to provide more accommodation for staff and students. Phase I of the SIP started in July 1995, Phase II in July 1996 and Phase III in December 1996. In the 1996 Policy Commitments, we announced that we would extend the programme to cover all public sector schools in which improvement works are feasible. In June 1997, the Finance Committee approved one permanent post of CA (now known as CA/3) to oversee the implementation of the Whole-Day Primary School Programme, the School Building Projects and the SIP.
CIVIL SERVICE BUREAU COMMENTS
12. Civil Service Bureau considers the ranking and grading of the proposed post to be appropriate, having regard to the scope and level of responsibilities and professional input required.
ADVICE OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON DIRECTORATE SALARIES AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE
13. The Standing Committee on Directorate Salaries and Conditions of Service has advised that the grading proposed for the post would be appropriate if the post were to be created.
Works Bureau
January 1998
1. In parallel, the Education Department will also convert 72 primary schools into whole-day operation through administrative means such as packing classes to make full use of existing classrooms, reprovisioning a session to vacant school premises in the vicinity and not allocating primary one pupils to a session.
Enclosure 2 to EC(97-98)56
Existing Job Description for Chief Architect/3
Architectural Services Department
Rank : Chief Architect (D1)
Main Duties and Responsibilities
Responsible to the Assistant Director (Architectural) for planning and monitoring the work of a division, co-ordinating the work of allied professions and overseeing building projects in respect of Whole-day Primary School Programme, School Improvement Programme and the School Building Programme. Main duties include -
- devising master plans;
- formulating schedules of accommodation;
- examining and recommending the award of tenders and administering contracts;
- advising on inspection and testing methods and programmes;
- monitoring the progress and quality of building works, including holding progress meetings with consultants, contractors, sub-contractors and suppliers, identifying and anticipating problems, and recommending solutions;
- ensuring that all duties of consultants and contractors are completed satisfactorily during defects liability periods, issuing maintenance certificates and releasing retention money to contractors after defects liability periods; and
- liaising with other departments and policy bureaux concerned on land and environmental issues.
Enclosure 3 to EC(97-98)56
Proposed Job Description for Chief Architect/3
Architectural Services Department
Rank : Chief Architect (D1)
Main Duties and Responsibilities
Responsible to the Assistant Director (Architectural) for planning and monitoring the work of a division, co-ordinating the work of allied professions and overseeing building projects in respect of Whole-day Primary School Programme and the School Building Programme. Main duties include -
- devising master plans;
- formulating schedules of accommodation;
- examining and recommending the award of tenders and administering contracts;
- advising on inspection and testing methods and programmes;
- monitoring the progress and quality of building works, including holding progress meetings with consultants, contractors, sub-contractors and suppliers, identifying and anticipating problems, and recommending solutions;
- ensuring that all duties of consultants and contractors are completed satisfactorily during defects liability periods, issuing maintenance certificates and releasing retention money to contractors after defects liability periods; and
- liaising with other departments and policy bureaux concerned on land and environmental issues.
Enclosure 4 to EC(97-98)56
Proposed Job Description for Chief Architect/5
Architectural Services Department
Rank : Chief Architect (D1)
Main Duties and Responsibilities
Responsible to the Assistant Director (Architectural) for planning and monitoring the work of a division, co-ordinating the work of allied professions and overseeing projects to ensure progress according to schedule under the School Improvement Programme. Main duties include -
- devising master plans;
- formulating schedules of accommodation;
- examining and recommending the award of tenders and administering contracts;
- advising on inspection and testing methods and programmes;
- monitoring the progress and quality of building works, including holding progress meetings with consultants, contractors, sub-contractors and suppliers, identifying and anticipating problems, and recommending solutions so as to ensure that projects are completed according to targets;
- ensuring that all duties of consultants and contractors are completed satisfactorily during defects liability periods, issuing maintenance certificates and releasing retention money to contractors after defects liability periods; and
- liaising with other departments and policy bureaux concerned on matters relating to the implementation of the programme.
